Vietnam finish 2018 AFC U19 qualification with three wins

Vietnam faced little challenge when thrashing Laos 4-0 in their last Group H matchup on November 8, thereby concluding their 2018 AFC U19 Championship qualification campaign with a winning streak of three matches.

Bao Toan opens the scoring for Vietnam.

The Vietnamese team, coached by Hoang Anh Tuan, has already booked an early place in the final competition following their 2-1 victory over Chinese Taipei on Monday, making the final clash against Laos just a procedural one.

Vietnam started the match with great confidence and produced three dangerous attacks in a row in the first 10 minutes, but none of them was successfully converted into a goal.

After an array of opportunities squandered, Bao Toan broke the deadlock for Vietnam with a close-range finish 10 minute from half-time.

The score deficit was widened two minutes later thanks to an attempt by midfielder Dung Quang Nho.

It could have been a three-goal first-half lead for Hoang Anh Tuan’s side, as Van Xuan’s strike was denied by the post.

Vietnam went on to control the game after the break and missed another opportunity to expand the gap with a 50th-minute shot at the crossbar by Khac Khiem.

However, fans had to wait only ten more minutes to celebrate Vietnam’s third goal, with Nam Cung heading home Van Xuan’s pass from the left wing.

Tien Anh sealed a fabulous 4-0 win for Vietnam by producing an eye-catching curler in the 74th minute.

With this result, Vietnam officially finished the qualification tournament as Group H leaders, following their three wins against Macau (China) (2-0), Chinese Taipei (2-1) and Laos (4-0).

Chinese Taipei and Macau will meet later today to determine the group’s runner-up.

The 2018 AFC U19 Championship will take place in Indonesia from October 18 to November 4, 2018, with the participation of 16 teams. The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup as the AFC representatives.

(Source: NDO)